Traction-wheel.



No. 781,573. PATBNTED JAN. 31, 1905. M. J. TODD.

TRACTION WHEEL.

APPLICATION IILBD MAY 9. 1904.

Qvihmamn Patented January 31, 1905.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Orricn.

MA RQ UIS PITTS XOR K.

.I. TODD, OF BUFFALO. NEW YORK, ASSIMNOH TO BUFFALO (.OMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NElY YORK, A CORPOBXFKLY OF NEIV TRACTION-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION fOl'ming part of Letters Patent No. 781,573, dated January 31, 1905.

Application filed May 9, 1904. Serial No. 207,085.

1'0 zr/mm ft 112.1! ('OILCIZ'II.

Be it known that I, .xaoms J TomnofBu t" falo, in the county of Erie and State of New f \orlc, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lraction-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is well known that yielding lugs on traction-wheels will not in themselves allow of securing the necessary bite or traction and that lugs ordinarily employed for securing such traction cut and injure road-beds.

The primary object of my invention to obtain in a single lug all the advantages of both yielding and non-yielding lugs without the objections or disadvantages of either considered separately, so that under certain conditions the yielding capacity of the lug will prevent undue cutting or breaking by the non-yielding or biting member thereof, with the result that the latter will not be brought fully into play until a portion of the weight has been taken up by the yielding member, and thereby present a broadened frictional face. to the road-bed.

It is also a well-known fact that biting-lugs must be sul'liciently spaced apart to allow of contact with undisturbed and unpenetrated portions of the road-bed between the lugs to prevent the wheels from slipping, especially in soft, sandy, and muddy roads. On hard roads this necessary spacing of the lugs usually results in jarring or bumping of the wheels in stepping or bridgingover from one lug to another.

To obviate these objections, my invention contemplates the provision of a continuous tread at the center of the wheel-rim, while at the same time the lugs are sufficiently spaced apart to secure contact with the necessary amount of road material to insure the biteof the wheel, and yet avoid tearing loose the material between the contacts of the lugs.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a traction-wheel equipped with my improved lugs. Fig. is

a face view of a portion of the wheel-rim. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectiomtl view on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a traction-wheel, and 2 the lugs secured to the rim thereof. Briefly stated, each lug comprehends a road-engaging base member 3, bolted directly to the wheel-rim, and a central road-engaging yielding member i, the former being of metal and the latter preferably of rubber. The several lugs are arranged ob liquely on the wheel-rim with their ends overlapping each other and also the center of the rim. In this way I am enabled to always secure a practically continuous tread for the wheel, since at no time is the wheel without the support of two oppositely-disposed lugs. The metallic or base member of each lug is formed with a central longitudinal opening to accommodate the protruding portion of the yielding member a. The overhanging inner sidewalls 5 of this opening are parallel, so as to presentstraight faces to the parallel sides of the yieldingmember, the latter being thereby not only sustained as against lateral displacement, but the friction consequent upon inward and outward movements is minimized. These overhanging inner side walls form stops, against which lit the angular faces of side flanges (:3 of the yielding members. By reason of these overhanging walls I am enabled to secure an increased bearing-face for the base member, and in the eventof the yielding member being forced inwardly beyond the 'faceplane of the base--as, for instance, upon con tact with a stone such side walls serve to bite, acting as the. lug itself. The outer longitudinal sides T of the base member are tapered, while the side edges and ends of the yielding member are preferably rounded.

In practice the weight is first thrown upon the yielding members, which will move inwardly within the planes of the outer faces of the base members, thereby allowing of an increased contact-surface of the latter engaging the road-bed, the extreme faces of the yielding members forming, in conjunction with the faces of the base members, frictional contact with the road.

The advantages of my invention are apparent. It will be seen that by means thereof traction-engines may be safely propelled over macadam, asphalt, or brick roads without danger of injuring the road-bed, since the yielding members of the lugs in serving to partially take up the weight lessen the bite of the metallic base members, and thereby minimize any possible damage to the face of the road-bed. The yielding members do not prevent the non-yielding base members from securing the necessary bite, but on hard roadbeds lessen the degree of penetration, while the broadened faces of the lugs insure the necessary friction between them and the face of the road. The weight being always on two opposite lugs, the machine will not be affected by pounding or jarring.

1 claim as my invention 1. A traction-wheel lug comprising a nonyielding road-engagingbase member having biting edges, and a second road-engaging member of yielding frictional material located between said biting edges and normally projected beyond and designed to move inwardly within the plane of the face of said base member so as to present a broad frictional contactsurface when under maximum weight.

2. In combination with a tractionwheel having a solid rim, a series of lugs comprising a non-yielding road-engaging base member secured directly to said rim and having biting edges, and a second member of yielding material bearing against said rim and normally projected beyond and designed to move inwardly within the plane of the face of the base member.

3. In combination with a traction-wheel having a solid rim, a series of lugs comprising a non-yielding road-engaging base member having a central longitudinal opening with overhanging walls, a second member of yielding frictional material bearing against said rim and fitted within said opening and in rear of said overhanging side Walls, said second member normally projecting beyond and designed to move inwardly within the plane of the face of the base member.

4. A traction-wheel having a solid rim, and a series of lugs obliquely positioned on said rim with their inner ends overlapping at the center of the rim, said lugs comprising each a road-engaging metallic base member secured to said rim and having a longitudinal opening and overhanging side walls, and a second member of yielding frictional material bearing against said rim and fitted within said opening and having lateral extensions for engaging said overhanging walls, said second member being designed to move inwardly within the plane of the face of the base member so as to present a broad fiat frictional contactsurface when under maximum weight.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib:

ing Witnesses.

\ MARQUIS J. TODD.

Vitnesses:

E. A. HOWARD, H. S. CUNNINGHAM. 

